Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a position and/or length measuring device for use on a machine tool, in particular for the incremental or preferably absolute measurement of a position of a first component in relation to a second component, e.g., in the case of machine tool components which can travel in relation to one another by means of a numerically controllable linear axis. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an attachment device for attaching a position and/or length measuring device for use on a machine tool.
Description of the Related Art
Machine tools, in particular numerically controlled machine tools, are known to provide components which can linearly travel by means of a numerically controllable linear axis which comprises a drive in relation to another component of the machine tool. Here, positions which are to be approached via the linear axis, e.g., via inputs of an operator of a control panel of the machine tool or via travel commands of a control program, are predetermined as target positions which are converted into control commands to be conveyed to the drive of the linear axis in order to move a first component of the machine tool, such as a linear axis slide, in relation to a second component, such as a component carrying guideways for the slide, by means of the control commands.
In order to improve the accuracy of the position control, it is intended to provide machine tools with a position and/or length measuring device which allows to measure in relation to one another a current actual position of the components which can travel in relation to one another, e.g., to calibrate the position control of the linear axis or also to directly measure a position of the components in relation to one another, if required, e.g., after switching on the machine tool and/or the control of the machine tool.
On the one hand, it is possible to detect the position of two components which can travel in relation to one another in incremental fashion via the and/or on the drive of the linear axis. However, the prior art proposes and/or uses position measuring devices for the incremental but also preferably for the absolute position measurement and/or for determining the position of two machine tool components which can travel in relation to one another, said position measuring devices comprising a scale section and/or a scale code section which is attached to and/or mounted on one of the components and a scanner device which is attached to the other component and travels with the component in relation to the component having the scale section and/or the scale code section. When the scale section and/or the scale code section is scanned by the scanner device, the position of the components can be determined in relation to one another; see, e.g., a generic position measuring device according to DE 10 2006 031 756 A1.
It is possible to calibrate and monitor the machine control by comparing the actual position determined by way of the position measuring device and the target position predetermined in the control. As a result, the processing accuracy can be significantly improved when workpieces are processed on the machine tool. However, due to today's demands on the processing accuracy, it is always an objective to further improve the processing accuracy and calibration possibilities on the machine tool.